


Figuring it Out

by brittaden



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: AU Gilmore Girls, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Romance, Time Jump, baby rory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-06 06:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14051088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brittaden/pseuds/brittaden
Summary: Previously "Of Windows and Ice Cream." At sixteen years old, Lorelai never imagined that she'd be a mother. When reality hit that this was going to be her life, she made a promise to forge a better life for her daughter. Now, a few years later, she's figuring everything out with the help of those around her. AU Gilmore Girls.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

_1984_

Lorelai's hand gripped the tree branch as she swung her leg up onto said tree branch and hoisted herself up. She crawled out to where the branch extended over part of the house and carefully, and quietly, slid onto the roof. A routine she performed many times before, here and the many maneuvers she made to get out of her own house, that she did it with ease and a little grace. On the rooftop, she scurried across until she reached the appropriate window. She crouched down and drummed her fingers against the glass. She waited a few minutes and when the sleeping figure inside the room was still asleep with no sign of waking, she drummed her fingers against the glass once more. A little louder this time. There was a slight stirring but nothing concrete and he still remained asleep.

Lorelai gave a heavy sigh into the night air when that didn't work and raised her fist to knock on the window. She tried to keep the knocks quiet as not to disturb anyone except the one person she wanted to disturb but quiet enough that she didn't wake the rest of the house. Her semi-loud knocks worked and the figure sat up in bed and switched on the lamp on the nightstand. She watched as he checked the clock on the nightstand then looked back at her.

Seeing his confused face and rumbled bed-head, she smiled and motioned for him to open the window.

"Hey sleepyhead!" Lorelai greeted when the window started to slid up. "About time you woke up."

"Lorelai," he sighed sleepily. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

She gave her shoulders a shrug. "I couldn't sleep."

He blinked wearily at her. "It's the middle of the night."

"Actually, it's very early in the morning," Lorelai corrected. "Did you know people actually wake up this early on purpose? To go running? They're crazy."

He was still tired, barely awake, but the indignation in her voice at the thought of people exercising this early brought a small smile to his face. "They're not the only ones."

"Hey, if that's a dig at me for being on your roof at 4 o'clock in the morning..."

"It is," he interrupted.

She huffed. "Fine, okay. I'll just go."

"It was a joke, don't go," he called out when she turned her back to him.

She shook her head at him but had a smile on her face as she did so. "You're never going to get anywhere in life if you give in that easy."

He rubbed at his sleep-crusted eyes and moved aside to give her the opportunity to climb in. "Come in."

Lorelai accepted the invitation and his hand as she climbed through his window. She huddled against him for warmth against the cool and crisp early morning air. He rubbed his hand along her back and tried to guide her back to his bed. She froze when she realized what he was trying to do.

"I didn't come here for that."

"I didn't think you did," he defended himself. "It's early, I thought you might want to lay down."

"Oh."

"I'm not expecting anything."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai apologized. "Besides wouldn't be the first time I crawled through the window and ended up in the bed. Though, it would be the second."

He wrapped his arms around her when she cuddled up to him again. "Come on, let's lay down. Or you lay down and I'll sit on the floor whatever you're comfortable with."

"No," Lorelai declined the offer. "I have a better idea."

"A better idea than sleeping? This early in the morning?"

"Yes." Lorelai's face brightened and he had to remind her to be quiet because people were still sleeping. "Let's go get ice cream!"

He scoffed at the idea. "No."

"Yes, please?" Lorelai begged, poking her bottom lip out. "Please?"

"Who crawls through someone's window at 4am to go for ice cream?"

"I do," Lorelai answered though she knew he wasn't looking for an answer.

"No," he told her again.

"Luke," Lorelai sighed his name. "Please? Let's just go, please? Please?"

Luke watched her, this wasn't what he came to know as her usual begging to get her way. This was bordering on pleading. There was something different, something behind her eyes that he couldn't quite place. She looked lost. He gave in.

"Let me get dressed first."

She squealed then immediately apologized for being loud as she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a smooch on his cheek. "Thank you and don't worry, I won't peek."

As promised, she didn't peek. Instead she turned back to the window and waited for him. She knew he was done when a jacket was being pushed her way.

"It's cold out," Luke said. "You look cold."

Lorelai looked down at her long-sleeved shirt and knew it wouldn't be enough to protect against the cold, early morning air but she had left her house in a hurry. She accepted the offer and he helped her into slip into one of his jackets. She smirked when she realized exactly what jacket he had given her.

"Your letterman jacket?" Lorelai teased. "Why, Butch, are you asking me to go steady?"

"I'll let you freeze," Luke threatened.

"Shutting up now," Lorelai promised. It was an empty promise. "Now, I can hear the ice cream calling our name."

Lorelai tried to sneak back out through the window but Luke insisted that they could go out the front door. She said that was no fun but went along with his plan because it was one that she had to talk him into anyway. When they made it outside, he opened the passenger side door for her before making his way to his side of the truck. After the measures they went through to keep quiet, Luke cranked up the truck and winced at the sound it made while Lorelai giggled in the passenger seat.

"Your truck is too loud."

"I usually don't sneak out the house at 4am for ice cream."

"Stick with me and you'll learn something new every day," Lorelai smiled.

Luke carefully backed out the driveway after there were no signs that his father heard the noise. He turned out onto the empty street and began to drive.

"Where are we even going to get ice cream at this time?"

"There's a twenty-four supermarket right outside of town," Lorelai pointed out. "You can venture out of the town sometimes, Butch."

"Stop calling me that or I turn the truck around."

Lorelai pretended to zip her lips.

For the time being, she was quiet while he drove. He looked over at her briefly and she was staring out the window. She wasn't smiling until she caught him looking then she gave him a smile and went back to staring out the window.

"How'd you even get to my house?" he asked, breaking up the silence.

"I found a bus that ran at this time."

"Your mom would hate that."

She smiled mischievously. "I know."

Before too long, Luke pulled up in front of the 24-hour supermarket Lorelai had named. She was out of the truck before him and already to the front door by the time he even stepped foot out the truck. He quickly caught up to her.

"Hmm, now I see why they gave you a letterman jacket for track."

"Remember the freezing thing, I'll leave you here," Luke reminded her.

"I'll just take the bus again."

"You're a pro at it now."

Lorelai breezed past him as she entered the store. "I know."

She navigated the aisles until they came upon the frozen section. She scanned the pints through the glass door before opening it and selecting two flavors. With ice cream in had, she declared that they would need spoons to eat it unless they wanted to freeze their fingers off. He followed behind her while they searched the multiple aisles before happening up a box of plastic utensils. He reached for the box but she was faster, tucking it under her arm, and juggling the two pints of ice cream plus some chocolate syrup he hadn't seen her grab.

When they happened upon a weary-looking cashier, Lorelai dumped the contents in front of him and waited for the items to be scanned. When the total was announced, she looked expectantly at Luke.

Luke grabbed his wallet and threw down a couple of bills while Lorelai gathered their bag. By the time he received his change, she had already left the store. His track years kicked in again and he hurried off behind her. He found her sitting in his truck.

"You could've waited for me," he said as he climbed into the truck where she was opening up her pint of ice cream.

"Sorry," she mumbled the apology before reaching into the bag that now sat on the seat between them. She produced his pint of ice cream and two spoons. "Here."

"I don't want any," Luke said, taking the ice cream from her and putting it back in the bag.

Lorelai stabbed at her ice cream with the spoon. "You're missing out."

"I'll live," Luke replied.

He dug the keys out of his jacket pocket and inserted them into the ignition. He was about to crank up the trunk when Lorelai placed her hands over his.

"Can we just sit here for a minute?"

He was taken aback her tone. He had only heard her sound like that when she was upset. He left the keys in the ignition but made no move to crank up the truck. He gave her a nod of his head.

"Yeah. Sure."

Lorelai gave him a grateful smile before going back to messing with her ice cream. And that's exactly what he noticed she was doing. Repeatedly stabbing it with her spoon and swirling the melting pieces around, not really eating any of it just playing with it. When she caught him watching her again, she lifted a spoonful and shoved it in her mouth. He grabbed the chocolate syrup from her bag and passed it off to her but she let it rest in her lap when she ate another spoonful of ice cream.

He got her attention when she went back to staring at the window. "Lorelai, everything okay?"

Lorelai sniffled and forced a grin onto her lips. "I'm fine, just want to sit here for a minute."

Luke prodded further, asking again if everything was okay.

She could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. "No." She sniffled again and wiped at her eyes. "I have something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled because this was big.

Huge.

Ginormous.

Monumental.

_Life changing._

"I'm pregnant."

 _It was only one night,_ she thought.

She had met Luke this past summer. It was after a fight with Christopher on the Fourth of July. Her parents were throwing a big shin-dig for the occasion and when her fight with Christopher happened a few feet away from the proceedings, he was sent home by his parents and she was sent to her room. She snuck out of her room and ended up in a small town called Stars Hollow. At their Fourth of July festival and with a pilfered cup of spiked punch in her hand, she ran into Luke. Quite literally. She walked away from their encounter with a stained shirt, as did he, and with the knowledge that there were going to be trips to Stars Hollow in her future.

After that, any time Lorelai visited the town it was to hang out with Luke. They were friends. At least she insisted they were friends, she wasn't sure where he stood at the time. But as time went on, a friendship did develop. In between school and her parents, Stars Hollow and Luke were both a place of refuge from her own life. There were a few nights where she climbed onto his roof and snuck in the window. Of course, she was still with Christopher, so she and Luke were only friends. Christopher didn't like their blossoming friendship and didn't understand that they were only friends. It was after she broke up with Christopher, due to his jealousy issues, that something happened between her and Luke. They grew a little closer. And one night, after an argument with her parents, she snuck out her window and snuck in his. They slept together. Only once. And she could've sworn they were careful.

They hadn't done anything since then. Her parents found out about him and forbid her from seeing them. Which normally would not have been a problem because she knew many ways to sneak out her house but her school and social life were suddenly packed to the brim all at the hands of Emily and she didn't have a moment to sneak off to see Luke. They talked, somewhat, over the phone. But it wasn't the same. Even when she did see him recently, it was like they reverted back to being friends.

"You're what?"

Lorelai sighed. "Pregnant, Luke. Pregnant."

"And it's mine?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" Luke sputtered. "I just..."

"Called me a whore?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

With that, Lorelai snatched open the passenger side door and let the ice cream in her hand fall down to the pavement below her feet. She slammed the door behind her as she marched off with the sounds of him calling out behind her. She moved around him when he crossed in front of her and stopped in an attempt to get her to slow down.

"Lorelai, come on, back in the truck."

"There's a bus stop not too far from here," Lorelai called back. "I'm a big girl, I can manage."

He dashed after her. He wasn't just going to let her walk away. He beat her to the highway and for some reason, this time she stopped when he stood in front of her.

"Look, I'm sorry," Luke apologized. "I didn't mean that, I was just...surprised."

"Well join the club," Lorelai retorted, sarcasm tinged her voice.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go back to my truck and we'll talk, okay?"

Lorelai considered it and then nodded her head. After all, she couldn't avoid it now. "I consider it a miracle to get you to be the one saying 'we'll talk.'"

Luke wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked back to his truck. When they made it back to the truck, Lorelai made no move to climb inside. Instead, she leaned against the back of the truck. They were quiet, him watching her, and her looking everywhere but at him.

"We were careful, right?" Lorelai finally asked, still not looking at him.

"Yeah, of course," Luke immediately replied.

Lorelai wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself. She looked down at the ground. "Guess that doesn't always work."

"Do your parents know?"

That made her laugh. "Of course not. I'm not locked away in a tower somewhere." She finally met his eyes. "You're the first person I told."

"When did you find out?"

"Like a week ago," Lorelai answered. She wiped at her eyes that had started to tear up again. "What are we going to do, Luke?"

He had no idea. But he took her in his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"We'll figure it out."


	2. April 1988

_Late April 1988_

It was that time of year.

The last dredges of winter were finally melting away and spring had sprung. Trees were blossoming, flowers were blooming, and everyone in Stars Hollow was beginning to shake off the remnants of short days and long nights as the sun won out over the snow-covered days. While she loved the snow and all things winter, there was a certain lightness to spring. A breeziness to the days outside that didn't leave her scrambling for a coat and gloves and a hat before even stepping out the door. And even though there was still a cool crispness to the air, it was seemingly the perfect weather for a picnic outside that the three and half-year old skipping down the sidewalk next to her had been begging for since they read about it in a book together.

So, with the handle of a picnic basket wedged into the crook of her arm, a blanket tucked under her arm, and her hand being held tightly by her skipping daughter, Lorelai made her way down the sidewalk with one destination in mind.

"When are you going to sign that precious little one up for dance?"

"We've had this conversation Patty," Lorelai called back to the dance teacher who was hanging out the doorway of the town's dance studio. "Two left feet!"

"She's young," Miss Patty reasoned. "Who knows she may take after her father. He can move."

Lorelai rolled her eyes at the comment but it didn't diminish the smile on her face. It was just the right amount of crazy that made her fall in love with this town in the first place.

"I'll tell him you said hello," Lorelai said before she was out of ear-shot of the dance teacher.

As she neared her destination, the hardware store, Lorelai caught a snippet of Patty's response and was thrilled that her daughter was more interested in opening the door by herself instead of what was said back because it wasn't appropriate for little ears. Her hand was let go as they entered the store and she followed behind her daughter's hurried footsteps.

"Rory, be careful," Lorelai called after her daughter who skipped around the store amidst all things handy.

"Daddy!"

Lorelai heard her daughter's squeal before she saw the man in question emerge from the back and immediately bend down and sweep the excited toddler into his arms.

"We're having a picnic!"

Lorelai smiled as their daughter revealed her plans. She met the questioning eyes as she placed the picnic basket and the blanket down next to the cash register. "That is if we can steal you away for lunch."

"Please?" Rory piped up.

"Yeah, please Luke?" Lorelai teased, using the same squealy tone that came naturally to their young daughter.

Luke smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

That pleased Rory for the time being and she began to ramble on in her own little way of the plans for the picnic, much to the delight of the two adults. Some of the plans fell way to toddler gibberish but the two mostly understood what their little one was trying to tell them.

Luke held Rory out towards Lorelai, gesturing for her to take their daughter. "Just let me go and tell my dad I'm taking a break."

Lorelai shook her head. "No, let Rory do it." She grabbed Rory from Luke and set her down on the ground before she knelt down to her level. "Sweets, why don't you go and ask Pop if we can take Daddy to lunch?"

"Okay!"

Excited with her task and after being told that he was upstairs, Rory scurried behind the curtain and up the stairs leading to the small office above the hardware store. Lorelai leaned back against the counter as Luke joined her on the side she was on and wrapped her in his arms.

"Sending our daughter to ask him about my break?" Luke questioned to which Lorelai smiled before responding.

"Sneaky, right?" Lorelai asked. "See if you would've asked, of course he would've said it was okay but with his adorable granddaughter asking, he's definitely going to say yes and may even suggest that you just go ahead and take the rest of the day off."

"So, Rory's a bribe?"

"A cute bribe," Lorelai emphasized. "You know he can't say no to her."

"You can't either," he pointed out.

"You're one to talk."

"Okay," Luke conceded, "So we both have problems saying no to her."

"It's our fault, she's too cute," Lorelai pseudo-complained.

"That she is," Luke agreed. "Takes after her mother."

A glimmer appeared in Lorelai's eyes. "Are you flirting with me?"

He grinned. "Something like that."

"Hmm, I love flirty Luke." Lorelai leaned more into his embrace, resting her head on his chest and looking up at him. "Do it some more."

His hands started to slide down and he was about to give her his thorough and positive opinions on the jeans she wore today but before the flirting could continue, Rory's high-pitched voice could be heard followed by a more boisterous laugh. Lorelai laughed softly as Luke gave her a quick squeeze but released her before they were joined by their daughter and Luke's dad.

"Now what's this I hear about a picnic?"

"You're more than welcome to join us, Will," Lorelai said as an invitation to the man who had been like a father to since she officially arrived in Stars Hollow. "Rory and I packed more than enough."

Will looked at Rory, who he held in his arms. "Should I? Did your mom cook the food?"

Lorelai scoffed but couldn't hide her grin. "Hey, I take offense to that."

"Don't look at me," Will joked. "I think we all remember what happened with Rory's first birthday cake."

"That oven had it out for me!"

Rory giggled at the adult's conversation.

Luke turned to Lorelai, the thought just occurring to him. "Did you cook the food?"

"No, you didn't see the fire department whizz by, did you?"

Will smiled affectionately. "We're only messing with you, sweetheart. Luke's the cook in the family. He's going to be better than me one day."

"Going to be?" Luke joked.

"Watch it, now."

"Alright, you two, settle down." Lorelai walked closer to Will and her daughter. She placed her hand gently on his arm. "To calm your fears, Pop," she said using the name he requested to be called by his granddaughter, "I didn't cook anything. It's all leftovers and sandwiches."

"I helped," Rory said seriously to her Pop.

"You did?" Will asked and Rory nodded her head. "In that case, I bet it's going to be a fantastic picnic."

"What am I?" Lorelai asked aloud, looking back to Luke. "Chopped liver?"

Luke nodded his head. "To him when he has Rory, yeah."

She laughed and gently pushed at his side before she addressed Will again. "So, are we adding a fourth to our picnic?"

"I would love to but I need to stay here and watch the store," Will regretfully declined the offer. "Next time, though."

Will gave his granddaughter a smooch on the cheek and ruffled her hair before setting her down on the ground.

Lorelai walked around the store and picked up the picnic basket from the counter where she left it before immediately passing it off to Luke. "Well we will miss you this time, won't we Rory?"

"Yes, we will," Rory agreed.

Luke offered his free hand, the one that wasn't holding onto a picnic basket and blanket, to his daughter. "You ready to go?"

Rory answered with a nod of her head and latched onto her daddy's head.

"You crazy kids, get out of here," Will encouraged. "Luke," he addressed his son. "I'll see you at home later. I can close up tonight."

"No, Dad, I can..." Luke wasn't able to get the rest of his thought out before he was interrupted by his father.

"I'm closing tonight, that's final," Will cut in. "You can close tomorrow night. Enjoy your day off, son."

Lorelai shot Luke a secret smile before throwing a quick shout of appreciation over her shoulder as she exited the diner with Rory who was now holding onto her hand. She heard Luke trying, once again, to fight the day off offer and she knew it was useless because once Will had his mind set there was no changing it, so Luke was going to get a day off no matter how much he argued.

Outside the diner, Lorelai made sure she held onto Rory's hand tight as they crossed the street and made their way to the town square. Now, following Rory's lead, they settled on a spot next to the gazebo. Without a blanket or a picnic basket, Lorelai sat down on the grass and pulled Rory into her lap as they waited for Luke.

Lorelai watched as Luke walked out of the diner, looking a little defeated as he exited, and she waved him over once they locked eyes. Rory jumped up from her mother's lap to greet her daddy as he got closer. She insisted on helping with the blanket and tried to spread it out but ended up needing help from her parents.

"Looks like I have the rest of the day off," Luke said as he sat down next to Lorelai who was busy unpacking the picnic basket with the help of Rory.

"Oh, poor you," Lorelai pretended to pout. "Having to spend the day with your beautiful girlfriend and adorable daughter. What a shame."

"Tell me about it," Luke replied, popping a grape into his mouth.

She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "We still love you. Isn't that right, Rory? We love Daddy."

"Yes!" Rory scrambled across the blanket holding her sandwich carefully as she crawled into his lap and pressed a kiss to his cheek just like her mother just did, giggling as she did so.

Rory settled onto her dad's lap as she continued to munch on her lunch.

When he offered the cut-up fruit to her, she accepted and popped it into her mouth, chewing happily. He was thankful that she picked up on both of their eating habits because it was much easier to convince her to eat healthy than it was to push fruits and vegetables on Lorelai. In the looks department, Rory was a mini-me of her mother, but when it came to her personality, she was turning out to be a perfect blend of both of them.

"Any plans for this day off?" Luke asked after taking a swig from the water bottle Lorelai had passed to him earlier.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Rory and I just planned the picnic. That was most of our morning. We can just hang out, take Rory to the park, maybe the library, spend a little time together."

Between both of them having jobs, him with his dad at the hardware store and her at The Independence Inn as a maid, it was rare for them both to have the same day off. Plus, along with her job, she was officially a part-time college student, which meant most of her nights were jam-packed with school work. So, any day off, that she could coerce or use her cute daughter as a bribe to get, she grabbed by the horns and made the most off. And today was one of those days where there was no work and her mind was free to focus on her daughter and Luke.

Luke nodded along with the plan. Even though he argued with his dad, he was more than happy to spend the rest of the day not at work. "Sounds good. Want to go to the park, sweetheart?"

Rory nodded eagerly and tried to talk through a mouthful of cookie that she had been handed by her mother. When she spewed out crumbs all over herself and Luke, Lorelai laughed before grabbing a napkin and helping to clean up the mess.

Like most little kids, once she was finished with her lunch, Rory started to get antsy. When she wanted to get up from their picnic blanket and go look at the flowers, Luke was the first one up and off the blanket as Rory led him around.

Staying behind, Lorelai stretched out on the blanket and watched Rory begin to pick the flowers and pass some of them off to her daddy to hold. She couldn't help but watch them with a smile on her face. If anyone had told her years ago that at 20, she would be the mother of an almost four-year old and living in a town that wasn't completely across the country from her parents – which was her idea at fifteen – she would have laughed and said that idea was absolutely insane. That she was never going to be a mother that young and that if she was going to live away from her parents, it would be in a completely different state where it took more than a quick car ride to visit.

But this was better. Much better than the hopelessly blurry idea of a future that she held at 15 where her only major concern was getting as far away from her parents as possible.

This was a life. A family.

And she was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was pure fluffy-fluff. I flip-flopped on how I wanted to continue this story and I knew I wanted to skip ahead in time a little, I just needed a certain time to skip to. But with some suggestions from frazzledsoul, I was able to pick just how far we jump ahead in the future. Since I did skip over a few years, I do plan on throwing in a few flashbacks every now and then just to give you an idea of their life before Rory, the pregnancy, and just how Lorelai ended up in Stars Hollow in this universe. This isn't going to be all fluff because it's going to be them trying to forge their little family but also dealing with everything else that life wants to throw at them.
> 
> More will be revealed soon concerning Lorelai's relationship with her parents, how and if the diner will become a thing, Lorelai's career now that she has an opportunity to take college classes much earlier on, the future of Luke and Lorelai's relationship, and pretty much everything else you have a question about it.
> 
> Let me know how you felt about this! please.


End file.
